Hot Boss, Wicked Nights

He wasn’t ready to give her up. But sooner or later he had to return to the US, which meant either selling the business or letting Kate manage it.

Or keeping Ultimate Journey and moving his US-based business back here. The Internet was global—all he needed was a small warehouse. He kept minimum stock. For the first time it felt like an option. Perhaps—just perhaps—he was ready to come home.

Over the next three nights he missed her when he climbed into an empty bed. He barely had time to say more than a few private words to her at work. But they shared a few intimate glances over her computer. Ate lunch together a couple of times at the coffee shop down the road. He wondered how she felt about that and whether other staff had noticed anything different.

Thursday evening arrived. It would take too long to drive the hour’s journey home for a shower so he brought a clean shirt to work and changed before picking Kate up at her apartment as arranged.

He told himself there was nothing threatening about meeting a lover’s parents for the first time, but tension tied knots in his stomach nevertheless as he sat in the car a moment and stared at her apartment. For starters, he’d never met a lover’s parents. It implied a certain more to a relationship. Something ongoing. Did they have that? And was it being fair to her, knowing his lifestyle?

Still, after this evening the relationship might be history. He unfolded himself from the car and climbed the stairs to her door. The roses for her mother and the expensive bottle of aged red wine for her father lay in the boot of his car. He unbuttoned his suit jacket, buttoned it again. Tugged at his cuffs.

Hell. He’d BASE jumped off Idaho’s Perrine Bridge with less stress.

His jaw tightened and the tension ratcheted up when Kate opened the door in faded jeans and a navy T-shirt.

‘Hi,’ she said slowly, eyeing him from the knot of his striped silk tie to the hem of his trousers. ‘Wow.’ Astonishment gave way to a smile. ‘You look…good enough to eat.’

‘Later,’ he said, a rough edge to his voice. Why hadn’t he thought to ask what to wear? ‘You never wear jeans.’

Her brows rose in surprise. ‘I do. You just haven’t been around long enough to see.’

Okay. He could accept that. Would it be too much to ask her to go change into something that made him less of a…spectacle? he wondered. But she grabbed a fluffy jacket from the hallstand and slammed the door shut behind her before he could get the words out.

Her smile sparkled up at him as she said, ‘Let’s go.’

He spun on his heel and trotted down the steps, his shiny Italian shoes beating a less-than-enthusiastic rhythm on the concrete as he headed for the passenger door. Too late to go home and change, too late to back out of this whole deal.

To keep conversation to a minimum he cranked up the volume on the car’s stereo and mentally rehearsed the evening ahead. They hit heavy traffic as they travelled over the Harbour Bridge. A dull pain throbbed at the back of his head.

He saw Kate watching him from the corner of his eye. She rubbed cool fingers over the exact spot. ‘You’re not worried about this, are you?’

‘Why would I be worried?’

He felt her shrug. ‘Because this is a new or rare experience for you?’

‘It’s all good.’ Liar. He tried clearing his throat, reaching up to yank off his tie, which had a stranglehold on his vocal cords.

‘No.’ Kate stopped him. ‘You look perfect just the way you are. Don’t change a thing.’

At Kate’s direction, he pulled into the driveway of a modest but well-maintained home. The moment he shut off the engine, she turned and smacked her lips to his. Then leaned back and grinned at him. ‘I’ve wanted to do that all day.’

‘And you chose now? Here?’ He could only wonder if her parents were watching from behind the lace curtains.

And if she’d done it deliberately, an act of defiance against the old man.

‘You don’t think you’ll get another chance when the evening’s over?’

‘Oh, yeah. I do.’ Her eyes lingered a moment with the promise of later. Then she was up and out.

By the time he’d retrieved the flowers and wine from the boot, she’d seen the door opening and was walking up the path. Both parents were on the veranda by the time he caught up. And wouldn’t you know it? Wall-to-wall denim greeted him.

When she’d hugged them both and turned, Kate’s smile faltered. ‘Oh…Damon…’ Her voice dropped to a whisper. ‘I didn’t tell you—Mum has an allergy to roses…and Dad doesn’t drink.’

Strike one.

‘Katerina!’ her mother scolded. ‘You’re embarrassing the poor man. And how nice he looks too. I do like a man who wears a suit and tie to dinner.’ She smiled, her warmth genuine. ‘The flowers are a thoughtful gift. They’re just beautiful—I’m so sorry I can’t risk smelling them. Thank you.’